Wake Forest vs Vanderbilt: Three Stars of the Game

These players shined the brightest Saturday for the Demon Deacons

Wake Forest left Nashville with a comfortable victory on Saturday, defeating Vanderbilt 45-25. There were great performances on both sides of the ball for the Deacs, but here are the three players we thought made the biggest impact.

QB Sam Hartman:

Hartman settled back into the offense without a hitch, throwing for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns in his 2022 debut and earning our first star. These numbers are even more impressive given the poor weather conditions, which caused ball security issues all around in this one. Hartman looked poised in the pocket and spread the wealthy nicely between his weapons. I wasn’t sure how successful the Deacs would be airing it out in the rain, but Hartman proved me wrong and came through with a great performance. 

For Hartman, though, his return to the gridiron was about much more than the numbers.

“It’s just great to be back with the guys, being part of the camaraderie,” he said. “It’s a fun place to play, and we had a great crowd on the road.”

And how about this block from the QB on Quinton Cooley’s touchdown run!

Sam Hartman throwing a block for a TD run 💪 pic.twitter.com/yR2feJNJiQ

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 10, 2022

DB Coby Davis:

I think Davis may have had the most important play of this game, a 31-yard pick six that came late in the first quarter. The Commodores had the momentum after stuffing Wake Forest on 4th and goal the previous drive, and were looking to build on their 3-0 lead. Brendon Harris made a great play to tip the throw near the sideline, and Davis did the rest. He snatched the ball out of the air and made a couple nice juke moves, running all the way to the other side of the field on his way to the house.

Davis said after the game that he only had eyes for the end zone after making the interception.

“[I was] jtrying to score,” he said. “I saw there were blockers ahead and I was like, ‘this might actually get in.’”

WR A.T. Perry:

Though Hartman connected with a slew of different targets throughout the game, Perry was certainly his favorite. The standout junior hauled in five catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, leading the team in receiving. Perry’s score came on a 68-yard bomb where he blew past two Vandy DBs on a post route and found himself wide open in the middle of the field. The ball was perfectly delivered from Hartman, and the rest is history. 

Sam Hartman's back!! He drops a dime to A.T. Perry for the 68 yard TD! pic.twitter.com/5e4GTQQMGA

— CFB Country (@_CFBCountry) September 10, 2022

Perry said his preparation for the game off the field helped him make big plays and find separation against the Vanderbilt defense.

“Just watching them on film, really studying the corners and just reading the safeties,” he said. “I can maneuver myself with the route and change it up a little bit, make it look like something else.”